Sterlington opens softball playoffs at home vs. Loranger

Thursday

Sterlington has earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 3A state softball playoff bracket and will entertain the No. 30 Loranger Lady Wolves in the first round on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Both teams finished the regular season on a downward trend.

Loranger (6-18, 2-6 District 7-3A) brings a four-game losing streak into the playoffs, including an 8-3 setback to St. Scholastic in the regular season finale.

Closing out the regular season schedule with a brutal three-day stretch, the Lady Panthers (26-7, 4-0 District 2-3A) dropped their final three games to West Ouachita (3-1) Wednesday, Ouachita (10-9) Tuesday and Ruston (6-5) Wednesday.

Last year's Class 2A state runner-up, the Lady Panthers are in their first season in 3A.

Brusly, the 2017 Class 3A state runner-up, and 2017 state semifinalist Pine Prairie claimed the top two seeds. Defending state champion North Vermilion, which defeated Brusly 5-3 in the state championship game, is the No. 4 seed.

Tuesday's Loranger-Sterlington winner will be paired against District 2-3A runner-up Union Parish (No. 19) or No. 14 Erath in the second round.

The complete first-round pairings:

No. 32 Bolton at No. 1 Brusly (Tuesday, 5 p.m.)

No. 17 North Webster at No. 16 Jewel Sumner (Tuesday, 5 p.m.)

No. 24 Madison Prep at No. 9 Crowley

No. 25 Eunice at No. 8 South Beauregard

No. 28 Baker at No. 5 Caldwell (Monday, 6 p.m.)

No. 21 West Feliciana at No. 12 St. James (Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.)

No. 20 Patterson at No. 13 Westlake (Tuesday, 5 p.m.)

No. 29 Church Point at No. 4 North Vermilion (Monday, 4 p.m.)

No. 30 Loranger at No. 3 Sterlington (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.)

No. 19 Union Parish at No. 14 Erath (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.)

No. 22 Berwick at No. 11 Jena (Monday, 5 p.m.)

No. 27 Marksville at No. 6 Albany (Monday, 6 p.m.)

No. 26 Jennings at No. 7 Kaplan (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.)

No. 23 Iowa at No. 10 Iota (Monday, 5:30 p.m.)

No. 18 Port Barre at No. 15 Mamou (Monday, 6 p.m.)

No. 31 Wossman at No. 2 Pine Prairie

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